Water Containers

Water Containers hold water and other fluids. The group runs from the Canteen and the Sports Bottle to buckets, cups, glasses and the Watering Can. Clean water keeps thirst away, and the taps stop running at a time set in the sandbox options. After that, every drop has to be collected, carried and often boiled.

All Tools and Equipment Categories

Best Water Containers

The top pick for each role, by the game's own figures.

For	Name	Image	Stats	Spawn ID
Lightest	Bottle		0.1 weight	/additem Base.JuiceCranberry
Heaviest	Wooden Bucket		10 weight	/additem Base.BucketLargeWood

Filling and Drinking

The game's guide explains the basics. Use the context menu to fill a liquid container such as a Water Bottle. The Transfer Liquid menu gives more options. Open-topped containers also collect rain on their own.

Clean water in the main inventory is drunk automatically to keep thirst away. Plain water quenches thirst best. In the game's fluid data, Water has a thirst value of 50, while Cola and the other sodas have 30. Milk lowers both thirst and hunger.

Water comes from taps, bathtubs and toilets while the supply still runs. Wells, rain collector barrels, rivers and lakes stay available after the shutoff. The Water Dispenser holds a Dispenser Bottle of drinking water.

Tainted Water

Water from a river or from rain is tainted. The guide says tainted water is unsafe for drinking. Boil it, or use Water Purification Tablets, to make it safe. The item name shows "(Tainted)" until it is treated.

The tooltip says how to boil each container. Metal and glass containers say "Sterilize in an oven or over a fire." Plastic containers say "Sterilize in a microwave." So a Canteen, a Bucket or a Drinking Glass can go on a stove or a campfire. A Sports Bottle, a Plastic Cup or a Watering Can needs a microwave.

Water Purification Tablets are the quick option. They come from camping stores, hikers and fishing gear. They clean water without any heat.

Water Shutoff

The water supply shuts off at a time set in the sandbox options. The default Apocalypse setting cuts it off within 14 to 30 days. After that, taps and toilets run dry.

Plumbing keeps a sink working after the shutoff. A sink or another fixture connected to a rain collector barrel gives clean water again. Plumbing a fixture needs a Pipe Wrench. Rain collector barrels fill whenever it rains.

Wells give water without any power. Stock up on water containers before the shutoff, since bottles are easy to find early.

Other Fluids

Containers hold more than water. The game tracks fluids such as Gasoline, Bleach, Rubbing Alcohol, milk, juice, coffee and tea. Fluids only mix when their categories allow it. A powered fuel pump fills any liquid container with gas.

Some fluids are dangerous to drink. Tainted water carries a medium poison risk. Bleach and Gasoline are deadly poisons. Keep fuel and cleaning fluids in their own containers.

Hot drinks help in other ways. Coffee and Tea each lower stress and unhappiness. Coffee eases tiredness twice as much as Tea. Cow's Milk lowers thirst and hunger by 50 each and has 615 calories.

Types

Drinking containers are small and light. The Canteen weighs 0.2. The Sports Bottle weighs 0.1. The Leather Water Bag and the Western Canteen are worn like clothing.

Buckets carry the most water. The Bucket weighs 1. The Wooden Bucket weighs 10. The Carved Bucket weighs 2. Buckets also mix concrete, plaster and clay cement for building.

Cups and glasses hold a single drink. The Drinking Glass, the Wine Glass, the Champagne Glass and the Tumbler are all glass. The Plastic Cup and the Fountain Cup are plastic. Empty food bottles, such as the Mayonnaise Bottle, also hold fluids once they are empty.

Some containers have special jobs. The Watering Can waters crops on the farm. The Hot Water Bottle can be warmed in a microwave.

Crafting

Several crafts make new containers. Forge Bucket makes a Bucket at Blacksmithing 3. Make Wooden Bucket needs Carpentry 2. Carve Bucket makes a Carved Bucket at Carving 4.

Glassmaking makes bottles and glasses. Make Drinking Glass needs Glassmaking 2. Make Glass Bottle needs Glassmaking 3. Make Wine Glass needs Glassmaking 7. The Artisan trait knows these glass recipes.

Leather makes a carry bag. Sew Leather Water Bag needs Tailoring 4. The Tailor occupation knows it from the start.

Locations

Water Bottles fill store drink shelves, water crates and fridges. Sports Bottles sit in sports stores, gyms and pool lockers. Canteens come from army bedroom lockers.

Watering Cans fill garden stores and farm tool crates. Leather Water Bags turn up with campers, hikers and trappers. Water Purification Tablets sit in camping stores and hiker packs.

Notes

• Keep at least one metal or glass container, since it can be boiled over a campfire.
• Fill spare containers before the water shuts off.

All Water Containers